Chapter 10
1 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria . Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria , to the rulers of Jezreel , even the elders , and to those who brought up Ahab’s sons , saying,
2 " Now as soon as this letter comes to you , since your master’s sons are with you , and you have chariots and horses , a fortified city also , and armor,
3 select the best and fittest of your master’s sons , set him on his father ’s throne , and fight for your master’s house ."
4 But they were exceedingly afraid , and said, " Behold , the two kings didn’t stand before him ! How then shall we stand ?"
5 He who was over the household , and he who was over the city , the elders also , and those who raised the children, sent to Jehu , saying, " We are your servants , and will do all that you ask us . We will not make any man king . You do that which is good in your eyes ."
6 Then he wrote a letter the second time to them , saying , " If you are on my side, and if you will listen to my voice , take the heads of the men who are your master’s sons , and come to me to Jezreel by tomorrow this time ." Now the king ’s sons , being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city , who brought them up .
7 When the letter came to them , they took the king ’s sons and killed them , even seventy people , and put their heads in baskets , and sent them to him to Jezreel .
8 A messenger came and told him , " They have brought the heads of the king ’s sons ." He said, " Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning ."
9 In the morning , he went out and stood , and said to all the people , " You are righteous . Behold , I conspired against my master and killed him , but who killed all these ?
10 Know now that nothing will fall to the earth of Yahweh ’s word , which Yahweh spoke concerning Ahab’s house . For Yahweh has done that which he spoke by his servant Elijah ."
11 So Jehu struck all that remained of Ahab’s house in Jezreel , with all his great men , his familiar friends , and his priests , until he left him no one remaining .
12 He arose and departed , and went to Samaria . As he was at the shearing house of the shepherds on the way ,
13 Jehu met with the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah , and said, " Who are you ?" They answered, " We are the brothers of Ahaziah. We are going down to greet the children of the king and the children of the queen ."
14 He said, " Take them alive !" They took them alive , and killed them at the pit of the shearing house , even forty-two men . He didn’t leave any of them .
15 When he had departed from there , he met Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him . He greeted him , and said to him , " Is your heart right , as my heart is with your heart ?" Jehonadab answered, " It is ." " If it is , give me your hand ." He gave him his hand ; and he took him up to him into the chariot .
16 He said, " Come with me , and see my zeal for Yahweh ." So they made him ride in his chariot .
17 When he came to Samaria , he struck all who remained to Ahab in Samaria , until he had destroyed them , according to Yahweh ’s word which he spoke to Elijah .
18 Jehu gathered all the people together , and said to them , "Ahab served Baal a little , but Jehu will serve him much .
19 Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal , all of his worshipers , and all of his priests . Let no one be absent, for I have a great sacrifice to Baal . Whoever is absent, he shall not live ." But Jehu did deceptively, intending to destroy the worshipers of Baal .
20 Jehu said , " Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal !" So they proclaimed it .
21 Jehu sent through all Israel ; and all the worshipers of Baal came , so that there was not a man left that didn’t come . They came into the house of Baal ; and the house of Baal was filled from one end to another .
22 He said to him who kept the wardrobe , " Bring out robes for all the worshipers of Baal !" So he brought robes out to them .
23 Jehu went with Jehonadab the son of Rechab into the house of Baal . Then he said to the worshipers of Baal , " Search , and see that none of the servants of Yahweh are here with you , but only the worshipers of Baal ."
24 So they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings . Now Jehu had appointed for himself eighty men outside , and said, " If any of the men whom I bring into your hands escape , he who lets him go, his life shall be for the life of him ."
25 As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering , Jehu said to the guard and to the captains , " Go in and kill them ! Let no one escape ." So they struck them with the edge of the sword . The guard and the captains threw the bodies out , and went to the inner shrine of the house of Baal .
26 They brought out the pillars that were in the house of Baal and burned them .
27 They broke down the pillar of Baal , and broke down the house of Baal , and made it a latrine , to this day .
28 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel .
29 However , Jehu didn’t depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat , with which he made Israel to sin — the golden calves that were in Bethel and that were in Dan .
30 Yahweh said to Jehu , " Because you have done well in executing that which is right in my eyes , and have done to Ahab’s house according to all that was in my heart , your descendants shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation."
31 But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of Yahweh , the God of Israel , with all his heart . He didn’t depart from the sins of Jeroboam , with which he made Israel to sin .
32 In those days Yahweh began to cut away parts of Israel ; and Hazael struck them in all the borders of Israel
33 from the Jordan eastward , all the land of Gilead , the Gadites , and the Reubenites , and the Manassites , from Aroer , which is by the valley of the Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan .
34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehu , and all that he did , and all his might , aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel ?
35 Jehu slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria . Jehoahaz his son reigned in his place .
36 The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years .